Catching Mr Ripper

September 14th Morning

"What have we found out?" Edmund asked the group of men.
"Well interviews with all the parents of the victims suggests that these women fell on hard times and took up prostitution as a means of earning money" Constable Neil told him.
"Miss Chapman had been to a local pub before she died, she had drank heavily" Constable Thain added.
"And of course there was the removal of feminine organs from Annie. And the mutilation of Mary's abdomen" Henry Moore added.
"Well, what I think we need to do next...." Edmunds speech drifted off as he spotted Elizabeth smiling brightly at a man who's wide, bright smile matched hers. The two of them were talking to the commissioner. Elizabeth smiled widely at the man, her hand going to his arm. Edmund watched as they spoke to one another, Elizabeth dropped her hand from his arm as he walked away towards the exit and the commissioner walked back into his office. Then their gazes met. Both froze in a state of shock. Her hazel brown eyes stuck on his moss green eyes. Elizabeth looked down at her feet before meeting his eyes again. Her lip pushed in between her teeth, quickening his breaths. Edmund was sure that his heart stopped, then restarted. Elizabeth dropped her lip from between her teeth, before slowly moving out of his eye line, eventually leaving the room, joining the mysterious man once again.
"Please excuse me" Edmund muttered, heading straight for the commissioner's office. Edmund knocked on the solid wooden door before entering, coming to stand in front of his bosses desk.
"How can I help you ?"
"Who was that with Lizzie just now?"
"Oh. You don't know? She didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?" Edmund felt his anger rising inside of him.
"She's engaged to be married. The wedding is tomorrow. I'm so sorry" Edmund opened his mouth to speak but he closed it quickly, storming out of the room in a fit of anger.

Elizabeth stood under a tree with Alexander, watching Annie's funeral from afar. Edmund had spotted her as soon as she had gotten out of her carriage. The man on her arm only made his anger bubble up inside of him. But he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked, even in black with her hair pinned back, she looked beautiful. As the funeral came to an end, Edmund made his way over to Elizabeth, taking small steps, fearing what was going to happen when he reached her.
"Edmund" Elizabeth offered a small but sincere smile.
"Elizabeth" he smiled back.
"So you're the Edmund I've heard so much about. I'm Alexander Croft" Alexander smiled shaking his hand, his other snaked around Elizabeth's waist.
"Pleasure" Edmund muttered. Elizabeth could see the vein in his neck bulging in anger.
"Has Elizabeth passed on your invitation? I'm sure she would love for you to come to our wedding, isn't that right Lizzie?" Alexander smiled at her. Elizabeth felt like a deer in headlights, stuck between the two of them. Elizabeth knew that Alexander using the nickname that Edmund had given her all those years ago would make his blood boil and send him into a rage.
"I'm sure it's in the carriage, please excuse us" Elizabeth practically dragged Edmund to her carriage, out of sight of everyone.
"You don't have to be so rough" he complained.
"Yes I do. I could see you holding back your anger. You can't say anything to him, about us, about any of it"
"What? You're telling me that he doesn't know anything about you? About us?"
"Of course not. What would I tell him? That we took each other to bed, that we had a broken engagement. My reputation would be ruined"
"Since when do you care about that?"
"Since I'm trying to move on. Since I can actually have Alexander" Elizabeth shot back. In a blink of an eye Edmund had pushed her against the side of the carriage, using his body to cage her in.
"You own me" he said, their breaths mingling together "Mind, body and soul. You own me. Everything I have is yours" he repeated. Edmund came closer to her, their hearts racing, breaths mingling. Everything was overwhelming Elizabeth. Being utterly surrounded by Edmund was intoxicating.
"Edmund" Elizabeth breathed out, her eyes shutting of their own accord.
"That reaction, is why I know you can't marry him" He leaned in closer to her neck and Elizabeth tilted her head in the other direction, giving him room to kiss her neck, but he didn't "Tell me you want him" Elizabeth could feel his breath on her neck.
"You know I can't" she whispered.
"The thought of him taking you to bed. You calling his name. It sends me into a blind rage. You're only marrying him for duty" Edmund dropped his voice to a low whisper, pressing his pelvis against hers "You won't scream his name like you do mine" He whispered, leaving her breathless. Before Elizabeth could react, he had vanished, bringing her back to the cold reality that he was never going to be hers and that she would never love Alexander like she did Edmund. She may take him to bed and carry his heirs and come to enjoy his company, but always in the back of her mind would be the constant reminder, that he was not Edmund.